If you are an architect, engineer, or student learning how to design 3D models, you need a good laptop to run Autodesk Inventor. This software requires advanced systems and computers to produce accurate images, models, and renderings.
Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD are developed by Autodesk, and they are required by architects, engineers, designers, and other professionals who need to render their models and other designs. They provide highly customized tools for different types of projects.
Getting the best laptop for Autodesk Inventor requires more in-depth research. At a minimum, the laptop should meet the minimum requirements provided by Autodesk.
Recommended System Requirements for Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk Inventor is more advanced and heavier than AutoCAD, and it requires a more powerful laptop than AutoCAD. Generally, Autodesk Inventor requires the following specifications:
- Operating system: 64-bit system with Windows 10 or macOS Mojave.
- Processor: Intel Core i7 Processor with 3.5 GHz or equivalent.
- Processor count: Octa-core processor
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Disk space: 40GB (Installer plus full installation)
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2080 or equivalent
Best Laptops for Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD: Top Picks
2022 Apple MacBook Pro
- Screen size: 16”
- OS: Mac OS
- CPU: Apple M1
- RAM: 16 GB
- Hard disk: 1TB SSD
The new Apple MacBook Pro is the most advanced laptop that Apple has ever produced, and it is the best pick for Autodesk Inventor. It is stupid fast, and it has sufficient memory and storage for your projects.
This laptop runs Apple’s proprietary Apple M1 pro or M1 Max chip to give your laptop a huge leap in performance. The 10-core CPU delivers x2 faster performance to ensure your projects never feel the heat. When testing this Apple laptop, we found that it was capable of running Auto Desk and other heavy software like Fusion 360 and 3DS Max.
This Apple laptop comes with a 1TB SSD drive. It loads pretty fast, and you can process data fast without any lags. Combined with the 16-core GPU, this laptop can run any advanced software and play games seamlessly.
With a 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, Apple MacBook Pro provides enough screen size to handle several projects concurrently. It has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera to give you sharper video calls; you can even use it for video conferencing.
This laptop also offers the longest battery life you will ever get. It has a 21-hour battery life to last you a full workday, or even stretch to the next day. With just 30 minutes of charge, you can head out and experience more than 10 hours of charge.
If you need a powerful machine for your Autodesk Inventor project, this Apple Macbook Pro offers the best deal.
Pro
- Long battery life
- Fast performance
- 16-inch screen
- Silent operation
- Big fans for cooling
Cons
- Fewer thunderbolt ports
- Pricey
Dell XPS 15
- Screen: 15.6”
- OS: Windows 10 Pro
- Processor: Intel Core i7 10750H GHz
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti
If you need a professional laptop with stunning visuals for your Autodesk Inventor project, the Dell XPS 15 laptop is a good pick.
This laptop is well designed and perfect for a work laptop. The aluminum casing and carbon finish give it a luxury feel. The Dell touchpad has a smooth feel and it is super responsive; the touchscreen is also efficient, and it has zero lags in between operations.
Autodesk Inventor is a resource-demanding software, and Dell XPS 15 understands that. It comes with 16 GB RAM and a 10th Gen i7 processor that is capable of clocking up to 4BG in turbo mode. It is suitable for running Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD.
The 1TB SSD storage provides sufficient storage for your data. The SSD hard disk also makes it fast to transfer and copy files between devices.
Dell XPS 15 has a 15.6″ UHD display that offers a stunning edge-to-edge view. It has a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 that is tough, durable, and damage resistant. The integrated Eyesafe display technology reduces blue light, which makes it ideal for people who stare at laptop screens for long hours.
This dell laptop has a battery life of up to 13 hours, which can last you throughout the day.
Pros
- Blue light protection
- Damage-resistant Gorilla screen
- Solid design
- UHD screen quality
- Favorable pricing
Cons
- Can be noisy
Acer Predator Helios 300
- Screen: 17.3”
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7 9750H
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 512 TB SSD
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti
Though a popular option for gaming, Acer Predator Helios 300 is also a good choice for developing 3D designs. It’s a fast solid machine that can run Autodesk Inventor, 3D Max, and AutoCAD, and still watch YouTube tutorials without experiencing any lags.
One of the features that make Acer Predator Helios 300 powerful is the CPU and GPU combo. This Intel i7-9750H laptop has a 16GB DDR4 RAM and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6B graphics card for maximum performance. It can handle multiple processes concurrently, and it does not heat up when running resource-hungry applications.
This laptop has a Full HD widescreen LED-backlit IPS display, which is incredibly sharp for images and videos. Combined with superior graphics, this laptop has a quality display. It has a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Though it does not have an anti-glare screen, you can use the night mode option to reduce blue light and avoid straining your eyes.
The 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard gives its more function than just a keyboard. You can animate the lighting, and pick different color combinations to create millions of potential hues.
Acer Predator Helios 300 has a battery life of 7 hours. Though decent, it is not as impressive as other laptops on our list.
Pros
- Large screen size
- RGB backlit keyboard
- Fast performance
- Sufficient ports
Cons
- Battery life is not impressive
- Speakers are oddly positioned
Razer Blade 15 Base Laptop
- Screen: 15.6”
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7 10750H 5 GHz
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Storage: 512 TB SSD
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
Razor Blade 15 is a compact work laptop with impressive features, and it is made with high-grade CNC aluminum material. It is 0.78” thin. This material is durable and not as heavy (given the metallic casing), which makes it a good choice if you are looking for a portable laptop for Autodesk inventor.
With the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, this Razor blade laptop provides powerful speed to load any software or even play games.
The powerful graphics are backed up by 16GB of RAM, which allows you to run multiple processes concurrently. You can render and simulate 3D model designs in Autodesk Inventor while playing music in the background.
The 512 GB SSD hard disk is faster and more efficient, and you can load apps and data quickly. However, if this storage is not sufficient for you, you can upgrade to a 1TB SSD or higher.
Razor Blade 15 also scores highly with the display. It has a fast 144Hz full HD thin bezel display with impeccable and crisp graphics. The color saturation and brightness exceed any laptop screens I have used.
Other attractive features of Razor Blade 15 include the customizable backlit color of the keyboard, fingerprint scanner, camera, and decent battery life.
Though the casing gives this laptop a sleek design, most buyers consider it a fingerprint magnet. If this is a concern for you, you can fingerprint-proof your laptop with skin or use a microfiber cloth.
Pros
- Elegant design
- Quick charging
- The laptop stays quiet for normal tasks
- Backlit keyboard
Cons
- The charging cable is bulky
- Demanding tasks may cause the laptop to heat
How to choose a Laptop for Auto Desk Inventor (Buyer’s Guide)
Processor
The processor does the heavy lifting when computing and Autodesk Inventor needs a fast processor that can handle resource-hungry tasks. Buy a laptop with at least a quad-core processor so that you have plenty of room for other computer processes.
Also, consider the current generation of the laptop processor. Older generation processors with higher clock speeds will be outperformed by newer generation processors with lower clock speeds since the latter can process data more efficiently.
If you have a choice between two laptops with the same generation processors, pick one with higher clock speeds.
Memory
The RAM comes installed on your laptop, and it determines the performance of the laptop and its ability to handle heavy computing.
While Autodesk Inventor can work with 8GB RAM for simple 3D projects, you need a minimum of 16GB RAM to handle more demanding design operations and bigger data sets.
If you are rendering bigger files and the software requires more memory than is installed, the laptop will continue handling operations, but the laptop may overheat or become sluggish.
If you need more RAM, you don’t have to buy a laptop with bigger RAM. Instead, you can upgrade your RAM to a higher memory size that is suitable for your Autodesk projects. If you have 16GB RAM, you can upgrade to 32GB RAM. Some laptops also come with an extra RAM slot where you can insert an extra RAM chip. RAM is inexpensive, and it will be cheaper to upgrade the RAM than buy a new laptop with a bigger RAM.
Storage
When considering the storage, you should go with SSD over HDD. SSD stands for Solid State Drive, and it tends to be faster and more stable than HDD since it does not have moving parts. It stores data on immediately accessible memory chips. They are quieter, faster, less bulky, and they consume less energy than HDD.
In comparison, a hard disk drive (HDD) contains a lot of moving parts and they are bulkier. It uses mechanical spinning disks and a faster-moving head to access data, and this makes it slower than an SSD.
Autodesk Inventor will require at least a 40GB storage space for installation. Overall, you will need at least 500 GB SSD. Since you will need sufficient storage for your design files, you should get at least 1TB SSD storage.
Graphics card
If you are working with complex 3D designs, a dedicated GPU can give you a performance boost. You can also upgrade the graphics card to render files quickly. We recommend getting a laptop with a minimum of 4GB of GPU with 106 GB/s bandwidth and DirectX 12 compliant.
Screen resolution
Autodesk Inventor needs a good display resolution for the best results. The best display for a laptop should be at least 1920 x 1080 conventional display. If your laptop has a high resolution such as 4K, you can set the resolution to 3840 x 2160 pixels. The graphic card you have must be compatible with your graphics card.
FAQ about Laptops That Can Run Autodesk Inventor
Can you use a gaming laptop for Autodesk inventor?
Some gaming laptops meet the required specifications for Autodesk Inventor since they are built to run demanding gaming applications. Check if your gaming laptop meets the minimum specifications for Autodesk inventor before you install this software.
How much RAM do I need for Autodesk?
You need a minimum of 8GB RAM to run Autodesk Inventor smoothly. If you are working on complex projects, get a laptop with 16GB or 32 GB RAM for the best performance.
What graphics card do I need for Autodesk Inventor?
The minimum graphics card required for Autodesk inventor is a 2GB GPU that is DirectX11 compliant. We recommend at least 4GB GPU that is DirectX12 compliant to handle any projects.